Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

Proposed Excise Tax Could Prompt Changes to Benefits

A proposal in the Senate health care reform bill (HR 3590) to impose an excise tax on high-cost health insurance plans would push two-thirds of employers to change their benefits packages to avoid the tax, according to a new survey from Mercer. A separate analysis from the consulting firm projects that 19% of benefits packages offered by employers in 2013 would be subject to the tax.